Rule-Breaking Day
by IanLevitt
Summary: In all the heat of what's been going on from episode 5x06 (and will continue to 5x09), I decided to give Arwen fans a little fluff story about our babies and what they would be doing if it weren't for Morgana and her always evil ways.
1. Pt 1

**A/N:**

**Before you ask why it's from two POVs and blah blah blah, it's a role-play from Tumblr. But that doesn't make it any less literate :3 I play Arthur on an independent RP blog, and I think the roleplays I have with all of those amazing canon and original characters are too amazing to be seen by only our eyes. So, this one's for you guys.**

**~ Ian Levitt**

* * *

Arthur had been absent from the counsel meeting, it hadn't really matter much - Guinevere had been Queen for so long now that attending such meetings were of second nature to her but she did find that her thoughts drifted back to Arthur more than once as the Knights of the Realm spoke. And when she'd finally adjured the meeting of the counsel heads she rushed off to find her husband, not entirely sure if she should be angry or worried about his lack of appearance.

She made her way up to the royal bed chambers she shared with the man she'd fallen for so long ago and hesitantly pushed the door open.

"Arthur?" she called as she entered the chambers. She couldn't really see if he was inside, the sun had set outside and every candle in the room had been extinguished but she didn't give up hope that he was in the room somewhere. "Are you here?"

* * *

Arthur was aware that he'd missed the counsel meeting, and though he felt a little guilty about leaving Gwen to discuss matters with the knights alone, overall he failed to regret anything. The King had just needed a little more time to sleep, and naturally, that tiny bit of rest transformed into the length of an entire morning.

When he finally woke, he told Merlin to extinguish the candles and bring him lots of sweet bread. Knights usually weren't meant to have such plentiful extra sugar, but today was this knight's Rule-Breaking Day. Not that he'd ever inform the other men that such a day existed. He sent Merlin away and basically gave him the day off yet on call after receiving the batch of sweets. It took less than five minutes for the food to disappear; Arthur attempted to call Merlin back, though apparently he'd already left the castle.

The King decided to spend the next few hours lounging around and doing God knows what. He started off with a hot bath. By the time he got out, Guinevere was back. "Oh, hello Gwen!" He smiled brightly, as if he had done nothing wrong whatsoever, and held his towel around his waist while he searched for a pair of pajamas. _I could really use Merlin right now_.

* * *

Guinevere could barely make out Arthur's form in the darkness, but she could register something looming ahead. Tutting quietly to herself, Guinevere gave up on any attempts to see in the damned blackened room and went to light the nearest candle. A single flame softly brightened the room, just enough for Gwen to make out Arthur, who seemed to be enjoying himself a great deal up here whilst she took care of all his responsibilities.

"What on_ earth_ are you doing?" She exclaimed as she took in his naked flesh, the towel wrapped around his waist and the wide, goofy smile on his face. She refused to let her heart melt at the very sight of him. She was supposed to be stern and angry! She stood her ground, firm and with a slightly-forced expression of annoyance on her face.

"I have been down in the counsel chambers for two hours listening to them go on and on _and on _about the price of banquets and the soldier numbers. Please tell me that you have not been up here bathing this whole time?" She hated counsel meetings, it was her absolute least-favourite thing about being Queen (but then being Arthur's wife was easily her favourite and she seemed to never spend time with him and spent all her time at that damned round table.)

* * *

Arthur frowned when she didn't respond and instead lit a candle. The expression on her face terrified him, to say the least, but he wouldn't show it…at least, not voluntarily. He flinched once the words flew out of her mouth and turned back to searching for his pajamas. If anyone knew where they were, it'd be Merlin. And since he wasn't here, normally Arthur would ask Gwen. Yet, she didn't appear to be in such a kind-hearted and giving mood.

_She has every right. __**Oh, shut up. **_"Guinevere, it's very rude of you to yell at a man after he's just bathed. Manners!" He tried not to laugh, seeing as Gwen was taking this much too seriously. It'd just been a day off, for Pete's sake! "Now, I understand that you are furious with me, but that doesn't mean you can demean my efforts. **No**, I haven't been bathing the entire time. In fact, I've spent my time very wisely. If wise means stuffing myself with sweets and having a lot of extra rest, that is. In my book it does. How about yours?"

He was, of course, attempting to lighten her mood. Gwen had seemed tense these last few days. Often, Arthur wondered if his bad moods rubbed off on her. "Oh, enough of this!", the King huffed, stomping like a child. "Guinevere, you're allowed to be upset only after you help me find my jammies."


	2. Pt 2

He was blind! Surely! Or maybe it was because he'd insisted on sitting in the darkness and he simply couldn't see the white night shirt draped across the screen. She sighed lightly and walked the distance of the room to take the clothes in her grasp.

"You are truly, utterly and completely the most useless man I have ever met." she said to him as she walked towards him. Her anger had somehow dissipated. Damn him! She was just incapable of staying angry at him, all she ever wanted was happiness and love and she just felt it stupid to argue in their precious moments together. "How you can survive more than 10 minutes without a servant I'll never know."

It wasn't really an incompetence to do anything himself, Guinevere knew that when he put his mind to it her husband could do just about anything he wanted and far more than she could ever claim to merit. But he'd grown up royal and had servants waiting on him before he was capable of walking. It was simply the way things were done.

And she smiled at him, despite herself. Now standing in front of him, she pushed the clothes against his bare chest and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't think I've forgotten that you abandoned me though!" she pointed out as she let go of the clothes.

* * *

Arthur whistled in embarrassment as she snatched his clothes off the screen. He didn't know what to say. They'd been right there the entire time! He truly was useless. Laughing softly, he watched Guinevere's anger seemingly fade away. She was right. How did he survive without Merlin on his days off? Wait…did Merlin even _have_ days off? **Bloody freaking hell**.

"Well, you see, when the manservant isn't around, I have my wife," He joked, meeting her halfway to accept his bearings. And just when he thought he'd made it out of the doghouse completely, she dropped his pajamas onto the wooden floor. "Guinevere! I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to abandon you," He spluttered, picking up the clothes in one hand and went behind the screen to change.

"It wasn't you at all. It's just…I needed a day off, from the knights, and from Camelot. And since that isn't possible, I chose to take a day to myself, where I'd do whatever my heart desired and not have to be troubled with all of the work that comes with being King." Slipping on the night shirt, he added, to be sweet, "Except you. You're the one piece of work that comes with my job I planned to see today." He peered at her from the side of the screen, attempting to gauge her reaction. After so long, he'd yet to get the whole 'kind-caring-and-adorably-thoughtful' husband thing down.

He pulled up his bottoms and laced the bow into a knot, stepping out and extended his arms to his wife. They rarely got these moments to themselves anymore, and admittedly, Arthur missed them. A lot.

* * *

She seemed in sync with his movements and turned to watch the pace he walked until he disappeared behind the changing screen. In the end she decided to ignore his rather rude comment, she was not his servant! But she knew how unlikely it was that Arthur meant it the way it sounded. Sometimes he had a way of intending to say one thing to her and somehow managing to say something so different that it could be offensive. But Guinevere knew Arthur well enough to know that he was raised by Uther Pendragon - a cold-hearted tyrant who barely showed him any emotional affection. Arthur had learned his capacity to show love himself, Guinevere could never stop admiring him for that.

"And you think I wouldn't like a day off? Don't you think I'd enjoying relaxing in a bath and eating sweets all day?" Her words were soft and absent of any hint of anger.

It was some time later when Arthur appeared from behind the screen, now fully dressed. Gwen seemed to gravitate towards him and fell into his embrace with such ease it was as if she was born for his touch. She slinked her fingers up his chest up, up until they wrapped around his neck. She smiled up at him sighed peacefully.

"And what exactly did you have planned?" she asked with a small twinkle in her eye, looking up at his beautiful face as she spoke.

* * *

Arthur believed that Gwen deserved every day off for the next twelve years. All she did was work, for him and for Camelot. She was hopelessly devoted to both, and Arthur admired her for that. He desired nothing more than to spend the rest of the day with his wife; initially, he had planned to ditch the knights with her, but she'd already left by the time he woke. If he'd shown up to the meeting to rescue her, his intentions would have been quite obvious, and the fun sense of rebelliousness wouldn't still be hanging on. He'd feel like a lazy slob if the knights found out prematurely. As Gwen encased herself in his arms so lovingly, the thoughts faded, and he smiled down at her in return. _She's beautiful._

His breath hitched in his throat once he finally noticed Guinevere's face. Evidently, he'd registered a face when she walked in, but he hadn't seen her smile up close in so long. Arthur loved Gwen's smile more than he loved himself sometimes, and whenever he was having a bad day, he always found a way to make her smile, thus boosting his spirits up. He felt a bit jealous all of a sudden, that he didn't do this all the time; usually, it was the knights and Merlin who brought this side out of her. And since they rarely spent alone time together, that was almost as sacred as a kiss. To him, at least. She and Merlin and the knights probably thought nothing of it.

He pecked Guinevere's forehead and shrugged, "To be honest, I just planned on doing whatever I felt like doing today. But then you came in, and messed up my thoughts…" _Now would be a good time to tell her that you think she's gorgeous_. **Right**. "…with your face." He wasn't aware that it'd come out the wrong way and that he'd potentially ruined a romantic moment, but the words derived from a purely innocent compliment that he'd tried to fancy up a bit yet ended up thwarting entirely. Arthur's mind went back to sweet bread and eventually Merlin for an instant.

* * *

A silence hung in the air. Guinevere watched his face and tried to determine just what she should say to him, but her mind came up blank and all she could think of was the humour swelling inside her until eventually she couldn't control herself and she had to laugh. She dipped her head until her forehead was leaning against his chest and laughed softly into the the cotton of his shirt. As much as Arthur failed at a lot of things, Gwen could not deny he had this almost-learned ability to make her laugh even despite her tired mood. Some time later she cocked her head back up to look into his eyes once more and, still laughing she planted a small kiss on his lips and drew away from him. She could taste sugar on her lips. And the taste made her stomach knot the way Arthur so often made it. She cursed, believing it was stupid that after all these years of marriage he still had an ability to erupt an unexplainable excitement in her body.

The excitement was still coursing through her veins as she took a small, thin piece of wood and set it alight with the solitary candle on the table. She took to slowly wandering around the room and lightening the candles (not all of them, but enough so they might be able to see the details of the room better.)

"So do these plans-", or rather non-plans, "-include supper or will we be hiding up here for the rest of the night?" Gwen asked as she hovered the fire over a candle somewhat close to Arthur.

* * *

Throughout the silence, Arthur considered hiring another manservant, if only for the rest of the day or until he received his treats. He now knew exactly why Merlin had gone: he'd known that Arthur would desire more goodies and thus left the moment he was given the chance. _I should have never let him go_. He only stopped thinking of ways to get Merlin back when Guinevere unexpectedly burst into a fit of giggles and rested her forehead on his chest. Was he truly that funny? The young man accepted this as nothing more than a compliment and rubbed Gwen's back, suddenly feeling awkward in their position. They'd been standing there for what felt like forever, and yet Guinevere didn't mind. If she failed to care, then why shouldn't he do the same?

He made to ask if they could possibly sit, looking into her eyes again in bemused amusement as she gazed up at him. But, she kissed him, and he ended up smiling like a deranged young boy. She seldom failed to do this to him - make him float on air in such a way that it almost was in a literal fashion. With a sigh, Arthur noted that he'd forgotten precisely what he'd wanted to ask her. He didn't even care at this point.

"Hm…" He considered her inquiry, still grinning on the inside. "Well, I was planning on staying up here." They could always call on Merlin to bring them food and - right, Merlin was having an off day. "Then again, Merlin is off today, and so we'll have to sneak down to grab supper. That is, if you really want to be rebellious."

* * *

Guinevere pursed her lips together and blew. With a small "phht" sound the flame extinguished and Gwen proceeded to discarding the almost burnt down stick in the unlit fire at the far end of the room. When she turned back to her husband she chose to sit at the large table, in the seat closest to him.

He was, without a doubt, completely insane. And Guinevere loved him for it. For a King and a Queen to be_ rebellious_ was just silly. As the rulers of this realm they were entitled to do just about anything they wanted and so they could never really be rebellious. But Guinevere could not find it in her heart to break his chipper mood and so she smiled at him and found herself stretching her fingers forward until they met his. She intwinded their fingers and rubbed small, soothing circles into the coarse skin on the back of his hand (coarse, Gwen knew, from years of hard training. It was just one of the little things Gwen liked about him -nothing was _soft_ or _smooth_. Arthur was as rough as rigorous training made a man of his age.) she pulled her own fingers closer to herself and by extension moved Arthur ever so slightly too.

"Sneaking into the kitchens for the food that was already prepared for us. We are truly rebellious inteed." Gwen said, not with sarcasm but obvious amusement.

"Come on then." she beamed at him as she stood from her chair once more.

Aware that he was on her tail, Gwen practically ran to the door out of their chambers.


	3. Pt 3

Arthur smirked when she blew out the candle, extremely proud of himself. She must be contemplating, and hard, very hard, for he was certain that she'd never been so rebellious before in her life, much less offered the chance. He thought of how much trouble they could get in (and maybe if he weren't such a clotpole he'd realize it was virtually none). Smiling down at Gwen, Arthur leaned forward to grab her hands as well. She was the one who was good at touch…and words…pretty much anything romantic. In this relationship, he wore the sword and she wore the pants, at least in terms of intimacy. He felt a sudden warmth course through his body, comfortable in Guinevere's care. She pulled him a little bit closer and he found himself smiling, if possible, brighter.

"So you'll do it? You'll rebel with me?" Overly excited, Arthur gave her a lengthy head start before running to catch up. "Gwen darling, wait up! We mustn't be loud!" In that moment, he didn't register that he was the one stomping across the wood floors and shouting at the Queen. For the first time in a long time, he felt alive in the slightest way possible.

He caught up with Gwen and patted her shoulder in an effort to stop her. "Love, we cannot run around the castle like that, especially if we're attempting to be secretive," He scolded, in spite of the huge, goofy smile on his face. Arthur glanced around in order to assure that they hadn't attracted any onlookers. Otherwise, they'd been caught, and his spirit would be ruined.

* * *

She felt like a child again, Gwen had not felt such a freedom as this for what seemed a lifetime and it brought back fond memories of her childhood. She remembered Elyan brandishing a sword he'd stolen from the blacksmith forge and chasing her around the lower town. It had only been a game and Guinevere was barely of seven years, she did not understand the implications of danger that came with being chased with a sword, as she assumed Elyan didn't know the implications of chasing someone with a sword. Thankfully neither of them were hurt. In the here and now she ran through the palace, wearing perhaps one of the finest dresses in the Kingdom and with the King hot on her tread. This was a far cry from her days in the lower town; running through pig styes and horse stables.

When Arthur spoke Guinevere slowed her pace and spun around, her beautiful purple skirt fanned out around her with this movement. She smiled widely at her husband and continued to walk backwards.

"And who's going to stop me?" she teased, truly regressing into a ten year old child once more. "You?" This was a dare. She raised one eyebrow at him with obvious suggestion of challenge before spinning 'round once more and returned to her sprint to the Kitchens. This time she moved slower and worked hard to avoid making really loud thuds with her heels.

* * *

Arthur had to admit, it was fun to watch Gwen laugh and grin so much, after all she'd been through. He broke out a kind, warm-hearted smile of his own, watching her walk backwards and slowly following her. The last thing he wanted was for either of them to have a little accident. She challenged him, and as she began to run once more, the King acknowledged that she'd at least obeyed his wishes. He then trailed Guinevere with no mercy, sure that he could indeed catch up to her in no time. He'd been trained as a Knight of Camelot, for crying out loud! They knew everything anyone sensible in Albion knew about speed, agility, and most notably, skill. He found that catching Guinevere right away would be rude and mean, and so he allowed her to sprint a short while longer, keeping up with a pitiful jogging pace.

"You know I'm going to get you," He whispered loudly, so that only she would hear. Arthur remembered people saying this to him as a boy, but they were always rulers of other kingdoms who lived on evilly inside such childish dreams. With Gwen, it felt totally different, and especially because he was the one saying it. He made certain that he wouldn't scare her, not using a menacing tone, yet a joking one.

Arthur laughed giddily, eyes trained on his wife's back until they reached the point where the Kitchens were moments away. He chose to make a move then, dashing in front of her, and leaned against the wall, smiling mischievously at her. "Hey Princess, where d'you think you're going?" He teased, hoping to get some reaction out of her.

* * *

Down the stairs and to the left, Guinevere knew the way to the kitchen as if it had been drawn onto the inside of her brain. After all, she'd traveled these corridors more times than she could possibly count in her days as a servant and the Kitchens themselves were full of maids and cooks and cleaners who Guinevere had grown up with. If it weren't for Arthur's presence in the royal part of the palace, Gwen would have said she felt more at home down here than in her own chambers.

She glanced around once more, expecting to find Arthur still behind her but instead finding nothing save for empty, darkened corridors. She slowed her pace slightly but quickly got the shock of her life when she made contact with something. She let out a yelp and her heart seemed to drop but she realised in less than a heartbeat that it was only Arthur and she found herself desperately grabbing his arm for balance.

He'd made to taunt her, referring to her as Princess in a way that brought back memories of Sir Gwaine. Guinevere narrowed her eyes at him and contemplated for a moment just what was the best tactic to get him out of the way. But it didn't take long for her to figure it out, she knew Arthur better than any man and marriage had taught her things that no one else in the Kingdom knew about their beloved King. She smiled and exhaled a gentle breath before taking her hands from his arm and placing them gently against his chest. She moved her fingers up slowly, caressingly and lovingly until they reached the bare flesh of his neck and the sharp cut of his jawline, there she draw tiny patterns into his skin with her thumb. She stood on her tip toes and reached her lips up until they were close to his ear.

"I think you'll find that's _Queen._" she whispered in a low, uncharacteristically husky voice, so close to his ear that she knew her breath would tickle against his skin. She pulled away and looked at him victoriously. And when she was certain he was shocked enough she skirted past him and opened the door to the Kitchens.

* * *

Arthur snickered when she grabbed his arm and rolled his eyes. She was so bloody easy to frighten; honestly, he believed a tot would be less afraid of him in that moment than her. "Are you okay?" He continued to taunt, smirking maliciously. He wouldn't allow her to win. From his days as a young boy, Uther had taught him to kick other knights in the gonads when they beat him at jousting. Only a few years ago did he truly stop doing so every time he lost. "Winning is in a Pendragon's blood," is what he remembered the Once King saying to him every night before he tucked him into bed. Arthur's bedtime stories seldom failed to include a small, brown-haired boy who knocked down everyone on his path to success, using any means possible. Sometimes, Arthur would reflect on that and wonder if there was a time when he had been that kid: the reckless child who wished to murder every potential enemy or waste of time.

He studied Guinevere's movements carefully, preparing himself for anything at this point. Dragging, shoving, a surprise kick…there. The thought of it forced him to tense up a bit, and he gave her an unforgiving gaze. Then, her fingers began to move against his skin and she moved to whisper in his ear, and the game became quite clear. _Death by seduction_. While Arthur understood that he, too, possessed this power and could be distracting Gwen right then, the young man honestly didn't want to stop her. It was a charade, yes, but he'd allow it to last for a short while.

The King inhaled deliberately, not allowing a quick intake of breath, or else she'd know that she captured him long ago. He felt her breath against his ear and he became enchanted, grinning at his Queen when she pulled away. Much to his disappointment, she trotted off somewhere and he was left murmuring, "If you want to be the Queen, you can be the Queen, I'm not saying any - GUINEVERE!" Arthur huffed and finally trailed her into the Kitchens, crossing his arms over his chest with a noticeable pout, "That wasn't fair at all."

* * *

Through the doors, the kitchen was divided into two sections - the storage area and the place where the actual cooking took place. Guinevere had been deliberate to enter through the storage area for it was far less likely that people would see her in there. She knew from experience that the cooks only entered the room a few times a day, and _during_ supper most certainly wasn't one of those times. Gwen walked through row after row of shelved fruits and preserved …well, to be perfectly honest Gwen really didn't want to know what half the preserving jars contained, they all looked pretty foul. She knew the real prize would be in the kitchen and so found herself, without any real intention, gravitating towards the door that joined this room to the next. It was a simple enough door, Gwen slowly stretched her fingers around the handle and twisted it until it clicked. The door opened, just a tiny amount but enough for her to peer into the next room.

No one, not a single soul in the kitchen noticed her spying, they were all far too busy preparing food for everyone in the palace. It was this time of the day that Gwen tended to avoid the kitchen, the cooks were always in the worst of tempers. Her eyes followed one little girl, holding a platter of fruit and then moved onto another woman, this time decorating an entire chicken with details of some kind of vegetable. Everything looked so delicious. But Guinevere was not so entirely lost in the food that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her. She turned to see that Arthur had finally managed to find himself and recover some dignity, and she found herself stupidly grinning at him. After a moment she pressed a finger to her lips, indicating that he should be as quiet as a mouse and then her hand found his and she guided him to the door, so that he might see into the kitchen too.


	4. Pt 4

All Arthur could do was trail Gwen through the storage area; she obviously wasn't listening to him. He wondered exactly how she knew the Kitchens better than he did. If not for her wit, they'd probably have just burst out into the Cooking Station, raided the place, and left, only to start a huge mess that'd end up as some kind of rescue mission. The answer came to him once she opened the kitchen door with such grace - of course, she'd been a maidservant before she became his queen. He studied her in mild interest, leaning against a shelf until she noticed him. Arthur was ready to jokingly confront his wife when she hushed him. Afterwards, she took his hand and led him over to the door. Arthur understood that they were now in a sort of secret agent mode, and whatever bones he had to pick with her mustn't be spoken of until later. There was a job for them to do.

His eyes swept over all of the food on the platters, including the chicken, and he nearly choked. **I'm in** **heaven**. He reached out slightly, as if to grab something off of a platter, and whispered in an alien-sounding voice, "Food!" Hastily, Arthur looked to Guinevere for further direction. She must have a clue of how to get past these folks, get to the food, and leave rather quickly. Isn't that what maidservants and manservants did? If it were left up to him right now, he'd simply break and call someone over to the door with some sob story for food; the bloody idiot still didn't realize that he was the King of Camelot, and if anyone would be given food today, it was him. Although, he trusted Guinevere's opinion (admittedly, he loved watching her make decisions as well) and wanted to see what she recommended.

* * *

"Food!" the word echoed in Guinevere's ears, scaring her half to death. She hastily closed the door so that those inside the kitchen would not follow the sound and find their King and Queen watching them like a pair of children. She couldn't help but smile at him and she slowly turned so they were face to face once more, she stood with her back against the door.

He was ridiculous! How could someone who claimed to be so professed at hunting fail so extremely at keeping quiet when watching prey (the prey being the food in the kitchen of course)? She deliberated this for a moment but decided that Arthur's ego probably couldn't deal with such criticism so she kept quiet, simply staring up at her husband's glittering eyes and waiting for him to speak. But he never seemed to come up with a solution to their predicament. She shook her head.

"Arthur Pendragon." she spoke in a stern, almost-motherly tone. "Are you telling me that the leader of Camelot's army can't even conjure up a single strategy for getting _food?" _she crinkled her nose, faking utter disappointment but failing with a laugh.

For a moment she thought and deliberated until she finally came up with an answer and it was like a spark had been lit inside her, she just seemed to burst with life.

"I have it. Okay. So I'll go out through that door-" she pointed to the door they'd entered the store room from. "-and into the kitchens, strike up a conversation, get their attention. Then you sneak in and snatch as much food as you can and then run like hell."

She beamed up at him, only mildly smug at her plan. It would work, surely it would work. It wasn't exactly uncommon for her to visit the Kitchens, and a visit from the Queen was always something of great excitement. The servants would never suspect foul-play.

* * *

Bemused as ever, Arthur stared down at Gwen, thinking that the most acceptable reason for her expectant gazing was that he was in trouble. He took a few minuscule steps back, prepared to flee if she displayed any signs of anger. Alas, she didn't, and more importantly, he wasn't in trouble.

His face flushed terribly as he gazed at the floor like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I apologize," He began, and then her giggle pierced the air and he raised his head once more, a brow arched this time in slight interest. He could almost see the discs whirring in her brain, snapping into place as she came up with an undoubtedly great idea. _I should really consider taking her out with me and the knights more…she is a wonderful strategist_. Though everyone knew how protective he was of Gwen, and that the most action he'd purposefully allow her to see was the capture of deer while hunting. Arthur didn't want to demean her skills at all; he'd seen her at work with a sword. But what would people think if their Queen wielded a weapon? Or, in more sincere, honest words: what would Arthur do if he lost her?

The knight paid close attention to Gwen's instructions, a sly, proud smile etched upon his face. "Oh Guinevere, been taking notes from me?" He teased, and nodded directly afterward. "Alright. That sounds like a plan." It was magnificent (and a lot more creative than one he could have fixed up)!

* * *

Guinevere ducked away from the shadow of his body and began to slowly walk back to the door they had entered the store room from. But she didn't get too far away when she turned around to give him a mischievous smile and spoke;

"Please Arthur, you could never come up with any plan as brilliant as mine."

And with a small laugh she left the room briskly. The second door wasn't too far away, just down the corridor and to the left. Gwen pushed into the kitchen and was immediately met with a heat she had not experienced at the other door, perhaps this door was simply closer to the burners; in truth she'd never paid much attention. The effect of her presence was almost instant; at first people began to look up from their work to see who had entered and then, when they realized who she was, they stopped all movement and just gawked, it was no more than what Guinevere expected…and wanted.

"My lady." A loud female voice boomed from somewhere behind Gwen. Guinevere recognized the voice instantly as Mirabelle, the head cook in the palace and a woman Gwen had known well for many, many years. Guinevere spun around and found Mirabelle's voice in a mass of people.

"Mirabelle!" she called to the woman with a smile. But her smile quickly fell into disapproval. "What have I told you about calling me_ that?_"

She understood the title perfectly, but still hated it when her friends greeted to her as _my lady, your_ _highness_ and the rest of those damned titles. Minutes passed and Guinevere tried her very best to create a stir by chatting, laughing, remarking on the food and all the while her eyes kept darting to the empty corner of the room where Arthur was stealing the food.

* * *

Arthur playfully rolled his eyes as she spun back around - oh, he'd never dare to sass the Queen in front of her face. Gaius had told him too many tales of women and their scary, abnormal ability to hold lengthy silences. He'd take a cocky, giggling Gwen over a deathly-silenced Guinevere any day.

With that thought in mind, he snuck into the kitchen and slid into the corner, taking a bag out of his pajama pocket - he kept it there in case of emergency in the middle of the night. If emergency counted as unexplainable and random hunger. Merlin recommended it after the first few night calls he'd taken for Arthur in the months after Uther hired him. And thank God, because it came to great use in the strangest situations.

Arthur glanced around the countertops, taking his time even though he could feel Gwen's eyes poring into his back. He listened while she spoke, and her conversations surprisingly brought him a lot to contemplate. For starters, she obviously didn't like it when people referenced her title of 'Queen' in any way. He always acknowledged the job of ruling the kingdom and accepted that she did it well, but never asked if she enjoyed it. Sure, the dresses and exceptional treatment were benefits of being royalty, but she probably wasn't used to having to make a bunch of difficult decisions on her own, keeping the people happy, and maintaining a pleasant public image at all times on top of that. Arthur suddenly felt guilty, and made a mental note to ask her about that later.

It wasn't the time for deep thought, however, and so he sped up the process, snatching a ton of sweets: buttered wortes, sweet bread, sugar cubes. To feel better about himself, he grabbed the occasional apple or bowl of soup. When the satchel was full, he turned around and gave Guinevere a thumbs-up. One of the workers around her noticed him, and while he kept quiet as to not bring attention to Arthur, he quickly wadded over, arms crossed. Instead of confronting the King, however, he asked, "Do you need help with that, My Lord?"

Utterly shocked and embarrassed, he murmured lifelessly, "You can see me."

* * *

Guinevere very nearly called out to the servant who had slipped from the group but she realized quickly just why he had left. Arthur's cover had been blown! And if she were to draw attention to the servant now then surely the rest of the lot would turn and find their King cramming a satchel with food they'd taken great care and attention to prepare, so instead she smiled and spoke louder.

"Well it was so good to catch up. I've missed you all dearly! We should do it again sometime but…" she began to back out of the room like a dog surrounded by hunters and not a Queen addressing her palace's servants. "I have a meeting of…great importance to get to."

She looked up and found Arthur's face in the distance, when she caught his eye she gently cocked her head, indicating that they should leave _now._

"Bye." She waved to the cooks and quickly departed the room. The sound of her heels echoed throughout the corridor as she hastily returned to the door Arthur would appear from. But on her way she couldn't help but think of his face, like a deer caught in a horse's gaze, and smiled. Maybe it was simply the mundane situation, but Arthur had shown himself to be somewhat incapable of hunting today. Was he not the finest hunter in the realm? The very best of the Knights? Gwen rarely left the castle with him nowadays but when she had in the past she had witnessed a Knight much more capable than anything she'd seen today. When she approached the door she found Arthur waiting outside, obviously he'd ran from the kitchens but he didn't look flustered. Gwen slowed her pace as she approached and raised one eyebrow.

"I tell you if that's how the finest Knight of Camelot sneaks around then-" she dramatically sighed heavy. "-I fear for our poor Kingdom."

* * *

"Why yes, sire. You're standing right there…" The older man said, worry lines etched onto his face. He thought he'd said something wrong to gain such a reaction from the King and was prepared for the consequences. Alas, Arthur merely turned away from him and looked to Gwen for guidance. The worker began to walk backwards, attempting to get away, but Arthur whispered, "Wait!", and so he did. _Wow. That never works with Merlin. _Shaking it off, he said, barely audible, "Please don't let the others know I'm here. This was supposed to be a quest for Guinevere and I - you know, one of those rare, playful times royal couples have. Just…distract them if she leaves prematurely." Hoping to get King Arthur gone soon so that he may return to cooking, the man bowed and nodded, slowly going back over to the group.

Gwen was already leaving. Arthur regained his wits and as the huddle of people disbanded, he made a quick, tip-toed, silent exit. He breathed heavily, leaning against the door. Bloody hell, what was wrong with him today? _It's your lazy day_. Oh, yes. But even that couldn't hide his feelings of worthlessness. The sound of dainty footsteps reached his ears and he twisted his head, finding the looming figure of Guinevere. "Hello, Love," He greeted her, straightening up against the door and held up the bag of food. At her admonishment, he pouted half-jokingly, "Well, today is my off day, remember? I wasn't prepared to be so agile. Usually, if I am expected to, it's already plugged into my daily routine. Regardless of what happened back there, I have our food."

He gently swung the satchel back and forth, pride in his expression. "How great does it feel, being the Queen and sneaking around your own castle with a devishly handsome knight?" The statement brought back unwelcoming memories of Lancelot, but his aim wasn't to make either of them uncomfortable.

* * *

The pair slowly made their way up the corridor and as she walked Gwen was incapable of taking her eyes off Arthur, she kept glancing up at his face and then smiling and weakly attempting to hide her embarrassment. She laughed slightly at his comment and found her hand seeking his without any real thought, she intwined her fingers in his in a way that seemed as natural as breathing. For a moment she simply walked in silence, deliberating his question. In truth she never really felt like this was _her_ castle. It was the castle she'd served in since she turned of age and she doubted she would ever really feel comfortable here. If home could be a person, Arthur was her home. With Arthur, Gwen felt the most comfortable.

"Devilishly handsome…?" Gwen sighed heavily. "Wonderfully humorous…kind…caring…Knight of Camelot." She spoke as if she was thinking aloud, but she had every intention for Arthur to hear her words.

They began to walk up the stairs to the part of the palace that was used for the citizens of Camelot; almost no one saw the Kitchens in the basement.

"So what did you get?" she asked and as she spoke she took the satchel from his hand and peered inside.

Sweetbread. Sugar. Sweets, sweets, and more damned sweets. And then an apple. Gwen shook her head and pulled the green apple from the satchel. She would leave Arthur to his sweets, she had little desire for the sugar. She handed the satchel back to him and then bit into the apple. A sweet juice filled her mouth and, still chewing, she made a very bright, child-like smile at her husband.

* * *

Arthur blushed at Guinevere's kind words. From day one, she'd known how to make his frown dissipate and transform into a full-blown, honest smile. Gwen kept him level-headed, yet at the same time, she deliberately boosted her husband's ego. And at the present time, he couldn't thank her more. "That's all true," He prodded jokingly, nudging her as they made their way up the stairs. "But you won't be amazed till you've met my wife. Queen Guinevere of Camelot, that's what they call her." _And she doesn't like the title at all_. "She's the love of my life, and I get a bit jealous when even the children of our kingdom state that they do, too." He assured that he emphasized the 'our', knowing all too well that she didn't yet consider the castle nor kingdom hers…for now. "Then I realize why everyone loves her. It's what makes such a woman that way - she's kind, forgiving, caring, loving, intelligent, oh, I tell you, the list goes on and on." In a moment of mischievousness, he added, "And do you know what the King says? Well, apparently, she's the nagging type as well."

He gently moved away, in case she decided to give him a playful blow. When she asked for the food, he willingly handed the bag over. Guinevere searched through it, and out of all the items he'd managed to knick, she chose the bloody apple. "You do realize you're making me feel fat, right?" He frowned deeply, hugging the satchel to his chest. Merlin always called him fat, but after seeing Leon shirtless, he'd told himself differently.

* * *

Gwen faked hurt, opened her mouth in an attempt to look shocked and nudged Arthur in the ribs.

"I. Do. _Not_. Nag!" she scoffed, not quite able to believe his words. Did she nag? She'd never felt like the nagging sort. Although she hated seeing Arthur disappear on one of his ridiculous quests and quite often expressed this hatred aloud. Gwen knew Arthur loved being free from the castle and his duties, out there he was just another Knight, but, for as much as Arthur loved it, Gwen feared that one day she would wake to the news that Camelot's King and the man she loved most in this world had been killed in some horrible and tragic accident.

She bit into the apple again and took a moments silence to savor the sweet yet bitter flavours enveloping her mouth. She loved apples; in fact she loved fruit in general. Perhaps one of the few good things about being Queen was that she got however much fruit she desired and Gwen found herself regularly choosing apples and berries over roast chicken, potatoes and especially sugar cubes and sweet bread. Her intention had not been to hurt when she chose the apple over the sweets and she most certainly did not believe he was _fat. _They had been married for many years now and over those years Guinevere had taken the time to memorize every curve and muscle and tone of his body. He most certainly wasn't _fat_.

"Oh Arthur, I will flatter you no further." She shook her head. She'd already taken the time to compliment Arthur over and over; Arthur was lean and fit. Gwen found it almost impossible to believe he thought himself to be overweight.

* * *

Arthur paid no attention to the nudge, even though it hurt like hell. She could be a Knight of Camelot, with the right training. Obviously that'd never happen though; Arthur had made sure of it. He focused on his sweets as they walked in the comfortable silence, wondering exactly what Guinevere could be contemplating so deeply about.

_You worry too much_. But was there such a thing as caring too much when it came to one's wife? He truly hoped she wasn't thinking anything negative about herself, or more likely, him. He knew that when he insulted himself it upset Gwen dearly, and though he found it adorable, he couldn't help believe that one day she'd get tired of him and his false self-absorbance and leave. Fortunately, the theory just didn't make any sense; she was a loving, strong, fierce woman, and wouldn't abandon the ones she cared for because of a silly reason on their part. Guinevere ditching him was as likely as her quitting with that extremely noticeable fruit addiction.

With a sidelong glance at his wife, Arthur smiled warmly. She brought him joy, and above all, hope. Hope that someday their children would grow to be people like her, or fall for people like her. Hope that there were other Guineveres in the world, not quite like his, yet close enough to the original copy. As far as he was concerned, everyone deserved a love like this.

At Gwen's statement, he gasped mockingly and said, through a mouthful of sugar cubes, "How dare you!" He burst out laughing and came to a halt in the middle of the corridor, covering his mouth as crumbs fell from a tiny, open crevice due to the loud, obnoxious snickering. If there was one thing he really hated in the world, it was his laugh.

* * *

Just the very sound of his laughter created something inside Guinevere. Not something unfamiliar, no this feeling seemed as natural as the most simple of tasks - it was a joy, an elation and a complete content with almost all things. Suddenly it didn't matter that the subjects in the border villages were suffering from drought or that the Kingdom was currently in great debt to Gawant all that mattered was Arthur's smile, Arthur's happiness. She found herself laughing too, purely because he was laughing.

"We've been married too long now, you cannot fool me." Gwen teased because she knew Arthur had been fishing for compliments. In her youth she had admired the arrogant King from afar and then when she'd fallen in love with him she quickly grew accustomed to his ego. Maybe it was the fact that he'd grown up in royalty that made him so eager for compliments. Or maybe, and Gwen knew this second excuse was far more likely the truth, Arthur had suffered to Uther's judgement from a young age and so had been forced to find admiration in places outside his father's eyes.

They were approaching their bed chambers now. Gwen found herself slowing down her pace as they drew up to the door and when they were just a short distance a way she skipped on her feet and walked backwards, facing Arthur and talking with a smile that had rarely disappeared from her face since she'd found Arthur earlier.

"Tell me, why do you love sweets so much?", she indicated to the satchel in his hand, "I thought the Knights of Camelot were supposed to live off of lean meat and …carrots…"

* * *

Arthur giggled even more at Guinevere's laughter; he couldn't help it. She brought out the completely dorky moron inside of him without even trying. Deep down, he believed that she enjoyed doing that - bringing out the side of the King that wasn't always bloody serious and formal. So, he allowed her to with no question. Admittedly, he liked himself better this way. He had no worries, barely any mind to think about what was important in life, and best of all, he had a totally giddy Guinevere. The grass really _was _greener on the "other side".

He let the remark tramp across his brain, the snickering having stopped although he still had a goofy smile on his face. Did she know him as well as she made it seem? Or, more importantly, was he predictable? Above all things one could use to describe Arthur Pendragon, he surprisingly found this one to be the most disappointing. Especially if his wife knew the inner-workings of his mind and was accurately able to tell fact from folly when it came to him.

Not allowing himself to get too uncomfortable, Arthur smiled back at Gwen, mouth full of bread crumbs. He subconsciously hoped she didn't fall into anything, but made a mental note not to worry about it. Guinevere was most definitely the woman in the kingdom with the greatest grace of them all, and she knew her way around the castle enough by now to tell when she'd be tripping into a vase or a bedpost. "I love sweets, because… They remind me of you. I'm not supposed to have them - you're right there - but if I'm not meant to have them, then I'm surely not meant to have something as sweet as you. And that's not fair, is it?" Rule number one of being a Knight of Camelot was actually: don't take women tips from Gwaine. But, Arthur had missed the memo.

* * *

Was that an attempt at flattery? Surely not.

Gwen froze in her tracks, not quite able to believe the words that Arthur had dared to utter. For as long as she loved Arthur, Gwen knew he wasn't exactly the most affectionate. Not vocally at least. There had been many occasions in which he'd shown affection in other ways – through kisses and embraces and those days when they snuck out of their duties to go for picnics or …steal food from the kitchens.

There was a moment in which she didn't speak. She just kind of stared at him and waited for the punch line or maybe for him to start laughing but the moment never came, instead Guinevere found herself laughing. Her hand slipped out of Arthur's and went to her chest. She laughed so hard that her chest actual hurt and she had very nearly doubled over. And it was several moments later when she managed to calm herself enough to fall into his embrace. She stepped towards him and wrapped one arm around his shoulder whilst the other one rested on his chest.

"That may be the single corniest thing I've ever heard. Ever!" she stated with amusement still clearly labelled on her face.

And then she stretched onto her tip toes to place a soft kiss on his lips. She felt the warm of his touch and the pulsing of excitement and pure giddiness that course through her body. Through the kiss, she smiled. When she pulled away she didn't move out of his embrace, she just looked up at him and said;

"_Thankfully_ I love you far too much to run away."

* * *

Arthur just stood there in that moment, awkwardly turning away from Gwen. Had he said something wrong? Perhaps women enjoyed being called "sour" instead of sweet, or something to that extent. He wasn't good with this Prince Charming thing, and that bothered him. He was a King, was he not? And a King should know full well how to woo a woman, especially his own. For an instant, a pout distorted the man's expression. He was, truthfully, a hopeless case, and he'd never have a point of attraction further than his sword.

As usual, Guinevere found a way to change his mood, and though he hated being bipolar, she made him desire nothing more to be happy right then. With her laugh. He shuffled from side to side, giving a strange grin and stuffing the already empty satchel into the pocket of his loafers. Okay, so she thought he was funny. That had to be a step forward in the direction he wanted to go. Arthur tensed a bit when she randomly placed her hands upon him, but upon noticing that she wasn't attempting to hit him for being foolish, he visibly relaxed and slid a hand over hers.

"Well, I apologize-," He began, mocking hurt. But of course, she ruined the dramatic statement and kissed him of all things. Not that he was complaining… Arthur wrapped his free arm around her waist and smiled into the kiss, feeling much closer to her than he had in the past few days, weeks, and maybe even months.


End file.
